What We Do

Body Meetings

During the school year, we have weekly body meetings every Wednesday night at 9 PM. These body meetings are forums for discussing political issues, planning activist excursions, and keeping body members informed about all the initiatives and events that other members or other groups are planning.

Circles At each body meeting, we split up into small groups - circles - that focus on a different political initiative or issue. These circles can be reactive, event-based, and sometimes discussion based, allowing for diverse opportunities and many different ways for body members to get involved. These circles are led by passionate body members with help from the executive board.

Liberal Boot CampMost weeks, our body meetings begin with a 3-5 minute speech called a Liberal Boot Camp, or LBC. LBCs are given by a board or body member who explains a political issue, whether it be local (affecting just our campus or New York City), national (affecting our country), or global (affecting the whole world).

Liberal SparringEven when unified under the umbrella of progressive issues, we still engage with the debates on which fellow progressives can differ. Some weeks, body members have the opportunity to present an issue with differing progressive opinions in the form of a friendly, 3-5 minute debate.

Activism

The Columbia Democrats are first and foremost an activist organization. We distribute petitions, lobby, phone-bank, attend and organize rallies and marches, raise money, and more.

Campaign and Lobby TripsEach year we go on a free five-day campaign trip on Election Day weekend in which we campaign for a candidate or ballot issue in a swing state. In the spring, we take a two-day lobby trip in which we meet with Congressional members in Albany or Washington DC to advocate liberal legislation that is significant at the time.

All members have the opportunity to apply for these trips. The trips are organized by our amazing Lead Activists.​

Speakers

We bring a variety of different speakers to campus each year to speak on issues they're involved in or have worked on.

Past speakers include: Helen Rosenthal, Council member for the 6th District of New York City CouncilFive Mualimm-Ak, Prisoner's rights advocate and authorRepresentatives from Empire State IndivisibleAlbert Cahn, Legal director of CAIR-NY